


Make it a Good One

by talefeathers



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Alcohol, Character Study, Drabble, Gen, New Year's Eve, Relationship Study
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:33:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24056776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/talefeathers/pseuds/talefeathers
Summary: Dick finds Bruce up on Wayne Tower's roof, hiding from the party in the penthouse below.
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Bruce Wayne
Kudos: 35
Collections: Batfam/DC Universe, Tumblr Drabbles





	Make it a Good One

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: "Things you said on New Year's Eve."

“There you are.”

Bruce couldn’t have said what he felt, then, at the sound of Dick’s voice up where he’d retreated on Wayne Tower’s rooftop; annoyance, relief, shame. Whatever he felt, he turned to face his adoptive son with a smile plastered onto his face.

“I wondered where you’d gotten off to,” Dick said, pressing a flute of champagne into Bruce’s hand. “I half-thought you’d honestly slipped out to patrol.”

“I promised I wouldn’t leave you to the sharks on your own until after midnight,” Bruce said. “I keep my promises.”

“Well,” Dick laughed. “The letter of them, at least. What are you doing up here?”

Bruce shook his head, turning his gaze back out over the lights of Gotham City.

“I don’t know, I just. Don’t feel very much like celebrating.”

“What do you mean?”

Bruce was silent for a moment, organizing his thoughts into sentences.

“I keep my promises,” Bruce said again. “And the mission is worth it, it’s. It’s the right thing to do. But I’m tired, Dick. And it’s getting harder and harder to pretend that I’m not. Everyone down there, they’re celebrating the start of another year, but I just. I can’t shake the feeling that it just never ends. Everyone down there sees this as a fresh start, but to me it’s just another turn of the wheel.” He sighed. “I just don’t feel very much like celebrating.”

In his periphery, Bruce saw Dick nodding.

“Yeah,” he said. “Yeah, I definitely know what you mean. But that’s why we make resolutions, right? Maybe this year’s the year we reevaluate. We make some changes. We make things a little more bearable to keep ourselves from burning out. You’ve got a whole cave full of Bat-kids who want to help, who want to share the load. I don’t know. Maybe this year’s the year that you let them.”

“I can’t risk --”

But whatever he couldn’t risk was drowned, then, in raised voices from the penthouse ballroom:

“ _TEN! NINE! EIGHT!_ ”

Dick laughed, a charmingly boyish sound that had been endearing him to Gotham’s elite for time out of mind.

“Just think about it!” he shouted over the din.

“ _SEVEN! SIX! FIVE!_ ”

Bruce frowned uncertainly. He looked back out over the lights of the city; some of them were flashing, now, in time with the shouts.

“ _FOUR! THREE! TWO!_ ”

Dick raised his glass to him. Bruce allowed himself a smile before tapping it with his own.

“ _ONE!_ ”

“Happy New Year, Bruce,” Dick said. “We’ll make it a good one.”


End file.
